Forming box



March 6,* 1951 G. JOHNSON FORMING BOX Filed Jan. 24, 1947 I N V EN TOR.

LOREN G. JOHNSON A TTOR/VE VS fiaten teci Mar. 6,

UNITED STATES PATENT ()FFICE.

FORMING IOX Loi'e'IiG. .ionnson, Venture, Cal ii Applicationianuary 24,194v;-seriarntsterds 1' Claim 401. 2 5-128) This invention relates to'forming boxes, and mo re specificallycontemplates a member from which abox structure may be manually formed, for association with a pipefitting of the type usually set in concrete floors, to protect andpreserve during the laying of the concrete the recesses in the flange ofthe fitting provided for the accommodation of bolt heads by which afixture may be mounted rigidly to the fitting and upon the floor. v

Closet bowls-and other fixtures requiring connection witha= sewer lineare often set upon concrete-fioors through which the sewer or drain pipeprojects. In accordance with such installations; thesoil pipe isassembled before laying the floor, with one end extended upwardly to apoint above the-levelof the proposed fioor to prevent theinadvertent-flow of fluent cement into the pipe when the floor is laid;Telescoped over the end of the pipe is afianged fitting adapted forsubsequent utility in mounting the fixture in liquid tightassociationwith the pipe. The fitting is accordingly telescopically positioned uponthe pipe with the fiange flush with the levelof the proposed fioor.After calking the bore of the fitting around: the; pi-peathe plumber maysafely leave thejob while the floor is laid. When the; concrete isset,the'soil pipe is broken off flush with or within the fitting, andthe toilet bowl or other fixturefor-which the drain is provided issecured by bolts tothe flange of the fitting, The bolt heads areinsertedunder the flange with their shanks projecting upwardly throughslots in the flange and'into the base of the fixture. As the concreteislaid fiush with the upper surface of thefiange, it'has been inevitablethat the slots in the fitting, as well as the areaimmediatelytherebelow, are filled with concrete which must be chipped or chiseledout in order to receive the heads. V

Itis a'generalobject ofthe present invention to provide a box adaptedfor assembly with a flanged pipe fitting to substantially enclose theportion of the flange in which a radialbolt recess is lo'cated',;s'o asto form a chamber beneath and laterally of' the flange when the concreteis laid around the pipe fittingfor the accommodation of the he'ad'of abolt by which a fixture is to be subsequently secured to the fitting andfloor.

Moresp'ecifically; an" object hereof is the provision of'a stripofflexible metal or the'like,

adapted to be bent around a" slotted portion o'f trienange of a pipefitting inthe form of'a box andthavinfg' integral stripsf projectingfrom" op- 2-; ahdfrdrfr are inner side of the best through slot in theflange, res ectiv ly,-ror'j'oint extensibfi-- over the r-1m anddownwardly into thebore? of the fitting so as to ositivlyseeufe th b xiii operative position;- W-liile the contrete is poured around thefitting.

Another and hig'hly importantobjeehereof it'- to 'p'ro'vide a' boltreceptaicle he" character settealluded to; I operable to snugly enga ea= mean ing, incorporating atop section adapted up assembly to: overliethe slot inthe flange of the fitting: through which the wa tshank; is tebe projected; the top section being adapted to" toirn cut; or otherwiseremoves fro mainderof the box" after th'alatt'ei is with thefittinginthe floor se as te slotand to open access'througli aF-spa slatell inthe slot: into the box beiew the flange for t insertion of thebolt-he'ad an' ther'eby disposition of the bolt with its shanl fupwardly and= axially? parallel with thefitting? v Numerous otherobjects andsaIient' feaE-tu my invention, :such,- for example; as simpli"a" ctmsttuctitn;-- economy of manuiacttire; ease or installation andutility positive engagement with the flange 0tthe fittingto'resistpressure oft fluent-cement, and adaptability to pipe fittings?of various diameters and wall thickiies'ses,- will be apparent tothoseof=skill in the' artupom n examination of the folloti' ingidescription,-rad m the light of the accompanying" drawings in which? Fig; 1* is aperspective view of 1 a": forming box embodying my invention; shown withthe ale mentsthereofi inpartially folded relationship; Fig. 2 is afragmentary sectionalview through the device'as installed upon a flangeof a'--pipe=- fittingg: 1' 7' Fig. 3 is a fragmentary plan view-of apipe fitting withaformingbox installed thereon Fig-1 4' is; asideelevation of the boxin 1:1os i tion; for the laying of the" concretearound the fitting; v v v Fig, 5 isa plan view of the strip from whichthe box; is formed;

Fig} 6 is a perspective viewof a flanged pipe fitting-ihavirfgi apair ofdiametrically-opposed} slots in the; flange, covered" andprotected byforming boxes, each incorporatingmy inVen- -[Ii-011';

Referring to the drawings in detail thenumerals or; which indicatesimilar" parts throughout thefsv'e'ial v ews, -a" designates} n; erally"a" circular pipefitti'ng" having a" bore" 9 an upwardly-directedinternal shoulder III for' fj a purpose hereinafter described.

An integral annular flange II encircles the upper end of the fitting,and in diametrically opposite sides of the flange radial slots I2 areformed. Each slot I2 is of a width only slightly greater than thediameter of the shank of a bolt (not shown) adapted to project upwardLvthrough it for attachment of one side of the base of a closet bowl orother fixture to flange II.

The forming box depicted in Figs. 1-4 and 6, is illustrative of each ofa pair thereof adapted to be assembled and shaped upon opposite sides ofthe fitting, and comprises a flat, generally rectangular strip I3 (Fig.5) composed preferably of flexible metal. The body Id of strip is of awidth substantially greater than that of the slot I2 in flange II of thepipe fitting 8 with which the box is to be associated. From each end ofthe rectangular body I4, a narrow retaining strap I5, integral with thebody, extends for a purpose later referred to.

Adjacent one end of body I4 of the strip I3, the sides of the latter arecut inwardly as at I6 on a line forming a right angle with thelongitudinal axis of the strip and to a depth equal to the proposeddepth of the inner side of the box to be formed, as will appear. Thedistance between the cuts I6 and the adjacent end of body i i of thestrip is preferably substantially equal to the depth of the cuts,respectively. A second pair of aligned cuts I'I, parallel to the first,are made in the side edges of body I4 to a depth equal to thatestablished by the cuts I6. The distance between the 01168 I6 and I! atrespective sides of the strip determine the width of the bottom of thebox, and accordingly varies with the width of flange II and the diameterof the bolt head to be accommodated. A third pair of transverse, alignedcuts I8 extend into the sides of the body a distance corresponding tothe depth of the first cuts I6 and are spaced from the line of the cutsI! a distance equal to the depth of the proposed box laterally of theflange I I to which it is to be attached.

From the aligned cuts I8 the remainder of the body of the strip,identified by numeral I9, is of a length sufficient to substantiallycover the entire box proper to be constructed by the user from the partof body I4 between the opposite end of the latter and the cuts I8. Thewidth of the strip I5 attached to the adjacent end of the body ispreferably slightly greater than that of slots I2 in flange I I of thefitting 8 over which it is'to be placed, as will appear, so as tosupplement the function of the top section I9 of the box when formed, ofobviating any tendency of the liquid cement to enter the box through theslot in the flange.

The utiliity of the flat strip I3 and the construction of the boxproduced by bending the component parts of the body thereof is asfollows: Prior to the assembly of fitting 8, and with the soil pipemounted so as to project vertically above the level of the proposedfloor, the fitting is equipped with a pair of boxes embodying myinvention for the protection of the slots I2 as above generallydescribed. To this end, the sections 20 and 2I of each strip between thecuts I6, I1 and I 8 at each side and the sections 22 of the stripsbetween the cuts I6 and the adjacent end of the body are bent at rightangles to the plane of jthe body and in the same direction. The strip I3is then bent to form a right angle on a transverse line extendingbetween each of the oppositely disposed cuts I6, I1 and I8,respectively, each bend of the strip being in the same direction. Itwill thus be seen that this latter step of folding the body of the stripbrings the rectangular transverse portions 23 and 24 of the body intoparallel oppositely disposed relationship to one another to form oppsitesides of the box. Coincidentally, the marginal sections 22 of the bodybetween the cuts I6 and the adjacent end of the body and the sections 2Ibetween the cuts I! and I8, respectively, are folded inwardly to overlieand flank the marginal sections 20 between the cuts I6 and I! at eachside of the body to form composite ends of the box as illustratedparticularly in Fig. 1.

As hereinabove indicated, the width of the transverse portions 24 asdetermined by the spacing of cuts I1 and I8 is greater than the width ofthe marginal portion 23 by an amount equal to the thickness of theflange I I with the result that when the strip is folded as abovedescribed, the outer side wall 24 of the box projects above the upperedges of the remainder of the box and to a corresponding extent. The boxis then assembled with the fitting by initially placing the same belowflange II with the strap I5, which extends from the end of the bodyopposite to the top section I9, projecting upwardly through and incontiguous relation with the bottom of slot I 2. The depth to which thecuts I8 penetrate the body is proportioned to the distance between theline of cuts I6 and I! so as to assure the formation of end walls of alength from the inner edge of the box to the nearest adjacent edge ofthe' outer transverse portion 24, substantially equal to the width offlange II of the fitting, whereby the outer edge of the flange willnormally abut against the edge of the transverse portion 24 of body I4when the box is assembled therewith, as described.

The top section I9 of the body of strip I3 is then bent down upon theupper surface of flange I I and over the slot I2 in the latter so as tocomplete the enclosure of that portion of the flange.

In order to secure the box in the described position, the straps I5 arejointly extended over the upper rim of fitting 8 and downwardly into andcontiguous with the bore 9. It is desirable that straps I5 be ofsuflicient length to project from the lower end of the fitting in orderthat they may be bent around the lower rim, as indicated in Fig. 2 at25, and thereby positively clamp the box in preadjusted position.

The fitting 8 with the boxes installed is then telescoped over the pipeand positioned with the flange at the level of the proposed floor. Thefitting 8 and pipe are rigidly connected by calking the bore of thefitting around the pipe to the depth of the annular shoulder I0. StrapI5 and the boxes are thus preliminarily secured in their adjustedpositions on flange II. The outer corners 26 of top section I9 may thenbe bent downwardly to obviate the projection from the finished floor ofsharp edges.

The floor of concrete may then be laid around the fitting and boxes, thelatter being firmly cemented in place. After the concrete is set, theplumber severs the portion of the pipe projecting above the floor andtheeafter cuts the top section I 9 from the boxes, exposing the slots I2in the flange II and the receptacles in the concrete below and extendinlaterally of the flange provided by the forming boxes. The heads of thebolts by which the fixture is to be attached are slipped beneath flangeII adjacent the outer 'walls 24 of the respective boxes and the shanksof the bolts are drawn into their normal operative position in the slotsI2 of flange l I for alignment with the holes in the base of the fixture(not shown) to be attached to the soil pipe, in a conventional manner.

It will be appreciated that the admission of small amounts of fluentcement into the box between the component elements thereof will notimpair the practical efiiciency resulting from its utility. However,before securing the straps Hi, the plumber may fill the box with paper,oakum or other material which may be removed with facility after thefloor is laid.

While I have shown and described but a single embodiment of myinvention, it will be appreciated that numerous changes in size, design,shape and number of the various elements hereof may be made inaccordance with specific requirements, that the box need not be formedby the plumber on the job, but may consist of a molded, cast, or apre-formed suitably sealed sheet metal receptacle adapted forassociation with the flange of a pipe fitting, that the contour of thefinished box may be varied, depending upon the shape of the flange andof body of the fitting so as to assure the provision of a tightenclosure, and that any conventional expedients may be substituted forthe integral straps [5 by which the boxes are secured in placeallwithout departing from the spirit of my invention as defined in theappended claim.

What I claim and desire to secure by Letters 1 the underside of theflange at the bottom and at each side of said slot another reach of saidside walls extending to the level of the upper surface of the flangelaterally of the latter and a top section connected to the last-namedreach of said side walls to overlie the slotted portion of said flange,said strap being connected to the side wall of said box structureadjacent the bottom of the slot in the flange and extending over the rimof the fittin into the bore thereof, a top section for said boxstructure connected to said last-named upper edge to overlie the portionoi! said flange in which the slot is located, and a strap connected tothe edge of said top section extending over the rim of said fitting andinto the bore thereof to secure said top section in position.

LOREN G. JOHNSON.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file ofthis patent:

V UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 589,344 Eccleston Aug. 31, 1897805,883 Russell Nov. 28, 1905 820,986 Van Patten May 15, 1906 925,232Sandstrom June 15, 1909 1,290,972 Goodlett et al Jan. 14, 1919 1,550,950Cowell Aug. 25, 1925 1,627,765 Bates May 10, 1927 1,734,356 Welch Nov.5, 1929 1,821,951 Thompson Sept. 8, 1931 1,888,127 Hearne Nov. 15, 19321,902,977 Tamagno Mar. 28, 1933

